Robe
1862-1908 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This dragon robe, tailored as a jifu ('auspicious' formal robe), may have been intended for a female member of the imperial court in China in the 19th century. The sleeves from the arm length to the 'horse hoof' cuffs may have been a later addition to the dress lengths.
The symbols adopted in this robe (such as striped hem representing water, a mountain divided into three parts that represents the earth, and dragons flying amid clouds) suggest an association with the Imperial Court of the Qing Dynasty. The dragons bear five-claws, a symbol of royalty; suggesting that the intended wearer may have been an imperial consort.
In general, a more limited dress-code appeared to have been available for women ranking down from the Empress and Imperial Consorts to wives of officers of the Seventh rank. (Men had a range of court dress for specific occasions). Even the Emperor's wives and concubines did not necessarily always wear robes decorated with dragons. Women also had sets of clothes made for auspicious celebrations such as weddings or the birthdays of older wearers, and the clothes made for these occasions were worn for future events of importance.
The symbols adopted in this robe (such as striped hem representing water, a mountain divided into three parts that represents the earth, and dragons flying amid clouds) suggest an association with the Imperial Court of the Qing Dynasty. The dragons bear five-claws, a symbol of royalty; suggesting that the intended wearer may have been an imperial consort.
In general, a more limited dress-code appeared to have been available for women ranking down from the Empress and Imperial Consorts to wives of officers of the Seventh rank. (Men had a range of court dress for specific occasions). Even the Emperor's wives and concubines did not necessarily always wear robes decorated with dragons. Women also had sets of clothes made for auspicious celebrations such as weddings or the birthdays of older wearers, and the clothes made for these occasions were worn for future events of importance.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Embroidery in coloured silks and gold thread on silk |
| Brief description | Dragon robe, embroidery in coloured silks and gold thread on silk, China, Qing dynasty, (1862-1908) |
| Physical description | Embroidered dragon robe with nine five-clawed dragons pursuing the sacred disc. Sea, earth, cloud forms, cranes and bats embroidered in silks on blue silk ground. A border of dragons, cloud forms, sea etc., at sleeves and neck. Embroidered in gold couched work, satin, long and short and stem stitches in blues, greens, reds, yellows, mauves and cream silks on blue silk ground. The robe is lined with blue silk. This embroidered dragon robe is decorated with motifs representing the Chinese universe. The waves of the sea and the mountains of the earth appear on the hem section. The dragons fly above and are surrounded by auspicious bats, symbolising luck, and cranes expressing wishes for a long life. |
| Dimensions |
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| Style | |
| Credit line | Purchased with Art Fund support |
| Object history | Registered File number 1947/374. From the collection of Bernard Vuilleumier. |
| Production | Tongzhi-Guangxu reign |
| Subject depicted | |
| Summary | This dragon robe, tailored as a jifu ('auspicious' formal robe), may have been intended for a female member of the imperial court in China in the 19th century. The sleeves from the arm length to the 'horse hoof' cuffs may have been a later addition to the dress lengths. The symbols adopted in this robe (such as striped hem representing water, a mountain divided into three parts that represents the earth, and dragons flying amid clouds) suggest an association with the Imperial Court of the Qing Dynasty. The dragons bear five-claws, a symbol of royalty; suggesting that the intended wearer may have been an imperial consort. In general, a more limited dress-code appeared to have been available for women ranking down from the Empress and Imperial Consorts to wives of officers of the Seventh rank. (Men had a range of court dress for specific occasions). Even the Emperor's wives and concubines did not necessarily always wear robes decorated with dragons. Women also had sets of clothes made for auspicious celebrations such as weddings or the birthdays of older wearers, and the clothes made for these occasions were worn for future events of importance. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | T.219-1948 |
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| Record created | December 6, 2002 |
| Record URL |
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